1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to glass block walls, skylights, and floors, and, more particularly, to an assembly of glass blocks held in a structural frame.
2. Description of Related Art
For many years, glass blocks have been used as building materials for walls, skylights, and floors.
There have been problems with existing systems for glass blocks. For one, the glass blocks are typically set in rigid or semi-rigid mortar which tends to crack and leak with age. When mortar is mixed at the job site, there is little control over the amount of water added and, therefore, the strength and weatherability of the mortar. Mortared block walls, even when reinforced, have limited structural strength. Alignment of blocks laid at the job site is often inconsistent. Finally, field weather conditions are often unpredictable, affecting the quality of mortared glass block walls built on site.
Glass block assemblies involving a framework for holding the glass blocks have been proposed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,058,943; 5,031,372; 5,042,210; and 5,218,806.